Twin attacks in Thailand’s southern region leave 5 dead and 13 injured, authorities say. The attacks took place on Saturday night in province of Narathiwat and Pattani, and demonstrate the persistent insurgency in the Muslim-majority region.
The first assault saw a group of armed attackers making an attack outside the district office of Sungai Kolok in Narathiwat, close to the Malaysia-Thailand border. The attackers simultaneously opened fire and detonated explosives, killing two defense volunteers and injuring 12 others including 4 civilians The deadly ambush was around 7 p.m. local time according to provincial police.
Later in Pattani’s Saiburi district, a roadside bomb killed three people, including two village assistants and a ranger patrolling the area. The bomb explosion, happening around eleven at night, also left one person hurt. 
They arms in southern Thailand which has been grappling with a steady insurgency in its southernmost provinces since 2004 and where more than 7,000 have died. Ethnic Malay Muslims still demand more autonomy in the region, which has been under Thai control for years.
Saying that the government will strengthen security in the area, Prime Minister Paethongtarn Shinawatra told media on Sunday. “The numbers of security personnel serving duty at night will also certainly be augmented,” he said, reiterating the government’s intent to reclaim stability over the long-brailed south.
